The College of Staten Island Men's and Women's Soccer programs will kick off the 2024 regular season this week with home games on Thursday and Saturday. The women will open with a matchup against Caldwell University on Thursday and the men will face Assumption University on Saturday. Each team enters 2024 with plenty of reasons for optimism ahead of their season-opener later this week. For the women, their roster has grown in size since the conclusion of the 2023 season, and they return several key players from last year. Men's Soccer recently named Donato Curci Head Coach and have also added plenty of new faces to their 2024 roster. Curci comes with an extensive playing and coaching background and was elevated to his new position after joining the Dolphins as Associate Head Coach last year. Alex Mendolia returns as Head Coach for the Women's Soccer Team fresh off a trip to France as part of the support staff for the US Women's National Team. Last season, the Men's Soccer Team made their debut in the East Coast Conference playoffs after clinching a playoff spot on the final day of regular season. Unfortunately, they lost 2-1 on the road against Queens College in a resilient effort. The Women's Soccer Team battled until the final horn on the last day of the regular season, but they came up just short in their bid for a spot in the East Coast Conference playoffs.
MEN'S SOCCER - KEY RETURNERS
*400+ minutes or 13+ games played in 2022 or 2023
DEFENSE
Luis Ascencio Cueva, Yousef Dardeir & Franklin Shehu
Ascencio-Cueva returns to the Dolphins for this third season with the program after serving as one of the anchors for a CSI defense that greatly improved their goals-allowed average last season. After surrendering 2.24 goals per game in 2022, the Dolphins defense allowed just over 1.5 goals per game last year. Joining Ascencio-Cueva in the back will be another returner in Franklin Shehu. As a freshman, Shehu was named the program's Rookie of the Year and scored his first career goal. He also served as a major contributor to the team's improvement defensively. Finally, Yousef Dardeir, who played 16 games and registered five points in 2022, will return this season. The senior appeared in just three games last year but returns as one of two vice-captains for 2024.
MIDFIELD
Brian Kerilu & William Lopez
Kerilu was the lone Dolphin to appear in and start all 15 games last season on his way to being named the team's Most Valuable Player. He led the Dolphins in minutes and helped the team assert dominance over possession in the midfield. Now entering his fourth season with the team, he is sure to continue playing a big role as the new captain of a Dolphins team with playoff aspirations. Joining him in the midfield will be William Lopez, a sophomore who appeared in all but one game last season contributing an assist.
FORWARDS
Miguel Espinosa & Brendan Maguire
Winner of the team's Golden Boot Award last season and a 2024 vice-captain, Espinosa made an immediate impact in his first season with the Dolphins. The community college transfer scored 9 goals on 34 shots across 14 games. Espinosa was also the Dolphins' leading goal-scorer and scored the team's lone goal in CSI's playoff match against Queens College. Joining him at forward is Brendan Maguire, a senior who was second on the team with 3 goals last season. Not only was he second in goals and third in points, but he put up those numbers in just over 400 minutes as a reserve.
WOMEN'S SOCCER - KEY RETURNERS
*400+ minutes or 13+ games played in 2022 or 2023
DEFENSE
Emily Albano, Arielle Uy & Megan Meagher
Uy posted a breakout season in 2023 with 2 goals and 2 assists across 14 games last year. She was tied for second on the team in starts with 14 and registered a two-goal, one-assist effort in a 3-3 tie against Georgian Court early last season. Fellow back Megan Meagher started in all 15 games she played in last season and has remained a steady presence on the Dolphins back line for the past three years. Alongside fellow three-year Dolphins back Emily Albano, the duo of CSI seniors were the only two players to surpass 1300 minutes-played in 2023. In addition to her durability, Albano added a goal and two assists last season.
MIDFIELD
Nadia Evola & Gabriela Castro
Evola begins her fourth season with the Dolphins in 2024 and has registered 5 goals and 3 assists during her CSI career. Last season, she appeared in 14 games, starting 11, and she finished the year with two goals and an assist. Joining her in the midfield was newcomer Gabriela Castro. One of five Dolphins to appear in all 15 games, she started 13 times and registered a pair of assists. Castro also finished just six minutes shy of 1000 in her first year with the program.
GOALKEEPERS
Brianna Dore and Sara Villacres
The Dolphins return both of their 2023 goalkeepers this season. Dore started five games last season while Villacres started the other 10 games. Dore posted a save percentage of 79.4% and Villacres saved nearly 76% of the shots she faced. Villacres also earned an East Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Week honor early in the 2023 season.